The New York Giants might be lacking at several positions but their interior defensive line is not one of them.
Already strong thanks to the presence of All-Pro Dexter Lawrence and Leonard Williams, the Giants beefed up at the position this offseason, adding run defenders A’Shawn Robinson and Rakeem Nunez-Roches. They also selected the massive Jordon Riley in the 2023 NFL draft.
Given their top-end talent combined with the newly-added depth, it should come as little surprise that Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports has ranked the Giants’ interior defenders as one of the NFL’s best defensive position groups.
Hard to find a batter tandem last season than Dexter Lawrence and Leonard Williams, two defensive tackles who anchored the Giants’ turnaround on that side of the ball.
Lawrence had a monster season at defensive tackle, recording 68 tackles, 7.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles. His impact came when getting to the quarterback, with 63 pressures, 28 quarterback hits, and a 12.9% pressure rate (only Chris Jones had more pressures and quarterback hits at defensive tackle).
Williams is coming off a year which he had 45 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 33 pressures, and a forced fumble. He did battle a neck injury last season and ended up missing five games, the first time he’s missed any games in his career. Regardless, Williams is still a force to be reckoned with in the A-gap and B-gap (he does switch to the edge on certain formations).
A’Shawn Robinson is also part of this rotation, but Williams and Lawrence are the two that makes the defensive interior elite.
Although the Giants’ interior D-line ranked in the top 10, they were actually second at the position behind the San Francisco 49ers. Kerr gave that unit a slight advantage.
Last year, New York Giants nose tackle Dexter Lawrence came into his own, racking up career highs in tackles (68), sacks (7.5), and quarterback hits (28) en route to Second-Team All-Pro honors.
In a recent article on Touchdown Wire, analysts Doug Farrar and Greg Cosell named Lawrence the top ‘0-Tech/1-Tech’ pass rusher in the NFL.
For reference, ‘0-Tech’ rushers line up directly over the center and ‘1-Tech’ rushers line up in the gap between the center and guard.
“Normally, the guys we think of as the best at those positions, and there are exceptions, but they’re usually more run players than pass players,” Cosell said. “Obviously, Quinnen Williams doesn’t come off the field [on passing downs]. Jeffery Simmons doesn’t come off the field. Dexter Lawrence had an unbelievable year last year, just with bull-rushing — just driving the center into the quarterback. There aren’t 100 of those guys. But normally, when you think of 0-techniques and 1-techniques, you think more in terms of playing the run.”
Last season, Lawrence wasn’t just the most productive pass-rusher from over the center or to the center’s shoulder — he was the most productive by an absolutely crushing margin. Last season, from 0- and 1-tech, Lawrence had one solo sack, three assisted sacks, 34 quarterback hits, 30 quarterback hurries. Those 47 total pressures ranked first in the NFL by more than twice as much as No.2 on the list — Vita Vea of the Buccaneers with 18.
Lawrence has become such a dangerous interior pass-rusher because he combines formidable size (6-foot-4, 342 pounds) with speed to and through the pocket you’d expect from a man 40 pounds lighter.
This year, the Giants have fortified the defensive front with more run support by adding veterans A’Shawn Robinson, Rakeem Nunez-Roches, and rookie Jordon Riley. That beefed-up rotation should give Lawrence a bit of a respite on rushing downs and he’ll be even fresher longer during games to harass the passer.
Last year, Lawrence was on the field on 76.4 percent of the Giants’ defensive snaps, which is unusually high these days for an interior lineman.
As part of an offseason exercise, our friends over at Touchdown Wire decided to conduct an NFL reset mock draft. That meant putting all current players into a pool and then drafting them similarly to what you’d see in the Madden video game series.
Ensuring that every team had the same odds of acquiring a top player, the draft order was determined at random. And as luck would have it, the New York Giants ended up with pick No. 1 overall.
Jackpot.
1. New York Giants: Patrick Mahomes, QB
There is very little question about who this pick was going to be, and it was essentially a lottery ticket that the Giants sprint to the podium. Patrick Mahomes is the best player in football at the most important position.
In this alternate universe, the Giants now field the league’s most dynamic player and top quarterback in Patrick Mahomes.
As far as other current Giants, nose tackle Dexter Lawrence went to the Dallas Cowboys at No. 28 overall.
One of the most underappreciated players in the league, the Dallas Cowboys do not take his talent for granted having to face Dexter Lawrence twice a year. They will continue a defensive focused rebuild and this is a great starting point.
Running back Saquon Barkley, left tackle Andrew Thomas and quarterback Daniel Jones went undrafted in the one-round mock.
If those of us at Giants Wire were able to continue this draft and make the first selection of Round 2, Thomas would warrant serious consideration.
Pro Football Focus released its list of best duos at every position this week, and the New York Giants made the list for best defensive interior: Dexter Lawrence and Leonard Williams.
In 2022, Lawrence broke out in a big way, as he and Chris Jones are the only two interior defenders to ever finish with a higher PFF grade than Aaron Donald in a season since he entered the league in 2014. While 2022 was Lawrence’s breakout season, Williams has been one of the most consistently reliable players since he entered the league in 2015, never having a PFF grade lower than 70 in his eight seasons.
In 2022, Lawrence had his best season since joining the league in 2019. He recorded 35 solo tackles, 28 quarterback hits, 7.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles. He was selected to the Pro Bowl and three All-Pro teams (AP, PFF, Pro Football Writers).
Lawrence was named to the 2019 All-Rookie Team in his first season, and has appeared in every single game the Giants have played since drafting him.
Williams has been around a bit longer than Lawrence, since 2015. He began his career with the New York Jets, joining the Giants in the middle of the 2019 season. Last year, Williams recorded 26 solo tackles, 12 quarterback hits, 2.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries. It was also the first season in Williams’ career to see him miss games with an injury.
Williams and Lawrence aren’t just the most solid interior duo in the NFL, but they are the most consistent. They have largely managed to stay healthy, allowing the Giants to build the rest of the defense around them. Hopefully, we’ll see even more progress this season as the players fully adjust to Wink Martindale’s scheme.
Leonard Williams wants to stay with the Giants and wants to see teammate Dexter Lawrence get paid big bucks, but those two things might not be jointly possible.
Williams is signed for one more year at an astronomical salary-cap hit of $32.2 million, which is the 12th-highest charge for any player in the league and the third-highest for a non-quarterback. He is coming off a season with 45 tackles and 2.5 sacks and the first games missed due to injuries in his iron-man eight-year career.
“I try to let things like that play out,” Williams said Sunday. “I believe the plan is the plan and things are going to work out the way they work out. I did my best this year. I fought through injuries and played my hardest. I’m sure I’ll end up somewhere, if not here. I want to play as long as possible.”
Giants defensive lineman Leonard Williams speaks to reporters on Jan. 22, 2023. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Giants defensive lineman Leonard Williams speaks to reporters on Jan. 22, 2023. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
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Williams initially said that he “would probably consider” a pay cut from his $18 million salary, but he quickly walked back his words to say a pay cut is “probably something I would have to talk to my agent [about] and probably something I would have to see how [the Giants front office] is feeling.”
The Giants cut the player with the highest salary-cap hit (James Bradberry) going into this season because they were cap-strapped. More breathing room comes from $52.5 million in cap space for 2023, according to spotrac.com, but a lot of deals need to get done.
“It’s something I haven’t thought about yet, so it’s hard to answer right away,” Williams said. “I’m considering all possibilities.”
Leonard Williams on the Giants’ bench during a playoff loss to the Eagles on Jan. 21, 2023.Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
In two previous negotiations since the Giants gave up all leverage with an in-season trade for Williams in 2019, Williams’ agents, Roosevelt Barnes and Brandon Parker, have squeezed out every penny, taking a franchise tag in 2020 and a top-of-the-market three-year, $63 million extension in 2021 on the heels of his career-best 11.5 sacks. The Giants could cut Williams to save $12.2 million against the cap for $20 million in savings.
“I definitely love this team and I want to be here,” Williams said. “I want to play with Dex as long as possible. Playing with someone like that helps me individually, and we help each other and the defense when we have two stout guys up front.”
Lawrence is signed on a $12.4 million team option for next season and has a Giants tattoo on his bicep, so it’s clear that he sees himself getting a multi-year extension sooner or later. The defensive-tackle market is expected to explode, which could elevate Lawrence to $20 million-$25 million per year, according to contract analysts.
Dexter Lawrence walks off the field after the Giants’ loss to the Eagles on Jan. 21, 2023.Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“He deserves it,” Williams said. “The world got to see the fruits of his labor this year. He’s been playing outstanding all year.”
Williams missed three games with an MCL sprain in his knee early in the season and played through neck pain late in the season.
“I’m just going to rest it a lot for right now but at the same time, figure out a plan,” Williams said. “I don’t want this to be something that’s lingering for the rest of my career, and I definitely want to handle it as soon as possible.”
The belief is surgery is not needed.
“I started off with a stinger that I kind of ignored at first because I had a stinger a long time ago in high school,” Williams said. “After that, it started coming back more and more. After getting so many of them, it started causing a little bit of nerve damage. The trainers are telling me the main thing it needs is rest, which I wasn’t able to get during the regular season.”
Dexter Lawrence does more than dominate opponents on the field. He enjoys some old-fashioned trash talk, too.
The Giants’ Pro Bowl nose tackle was mic’d up during Sunday’s wild-card win over the Vikings, and an NFL Films video shows the 25-year-old jawing at Minnesota center Garrett Bradbury.
“Five Six, you gonna take me out? You gonna take me out? You give me more hugs than my girlfriend give me,” Lawrence tells Bradbury in the clip. “Come on, man.”
Lawrence later says, “I know it’s hard. You signed up for this.”
The beginning of the video shows Lawrence attributing some of his success to Pilates.
“That Pilates be getting me right Leonard,” he tells fellow defensive lineman Leonard Williams.
“For real?” Williams replied. “A lot more flexible.”
Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence walks off the field after a win over the Vikings on Jan. 15, 2023. Corey Sipkin
Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence (97) hits Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) on Jan. 15, 2023. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
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NFL Films also captured rookie linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux praising Lawrence on the sideline.
“You’re the greatest player I’ve ever played with,” Thibodeaux tells Lawrence, who had six total tackles, including one for a loss, and four quarterback hits in the win over the Vikings.
Lawrence, a second-team All Pro, set career-highs across the board during the 2022 regular season with 68 tackles, 28 quarterback hits, 7.5 sacks, seven tackles for a loss and two forced fumbles.
Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence speaks to reporters after practice on Jan. 17, 2023. Corey Sipkin
Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence speaks to reporters after practice on Jan. 17, 2023. Corey Sipkin
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The former first-round pick will be part of one of the most fascinating matchups in Saturday’s Giants-Eagles Divisional Round duel when he lines up across Philadelphia center Jason Kelce, a six-time Pro Bowler and five-time All Pro.
Dexter Lawrence, having visited Philadelphia once a year for four seasons now as a member of the Giants, knows the kind of welcome to expect at Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday night.
That would be the same kind that once greeted Santa Claus in the City of Brotherly Love.
“I told my ma she can’t come to the games,” Lawrence said Tuesday following practice, “ ’cause she’ll go back at ’em.”
After sitting out the Week 18 matchup, Saturday’s divisional-round game will be the first time Lawrence gets on the field in Philadelphia this season. It’ll also be a chance at redemption for both him and the entire Giants starting defense, which was torn apart to the tune of 48 points in a blowout loss at home on Dec. 11.
Over three hours that afternoon, the Eagles ran for 253 yards, threw for 217 yards and got into the MetLife Stadium end zone six times. It’s the most points anyone has scored against the Giants since Nov. 5, 2017 — a span that encompasses defenses ranked 27th, 23rd, 30th, ninth and 23rd in the league in points allowed. After holding Minnesota to 24 points and sacking Kirk Cousins three times in the wild-card round on the road, this defense styles itself as more than that, though it is was middle of the pack in points allowed at 18th.
N.Y. Post photo composite
Lawrence, a second-team All-Pro selection this year, is at the center of that self-perception both figuratively and literally. He will get the job of lining up opposite center Jason Kelce, which is not a particularly enviable role.
“He’s little and he’s scrappy,” Lawrence said of Kelce. “He knows how to get his body in good position. He knows how to manipulate D-linemen, and the guards do a good job going down and helping him when he needs it.”
“They got eight Pro Bowlers, six All-Pros,” Giants coach Brian Daboll said of the Eagles, incorporating both sides of the ball. “They get your attention real quick.”
Eagles running backs as a collective have averaged 4.74 yards per carry this season, per Football Outsiders, and quarterback Jalen Hurts is a big threat with his legs. The Giants rank 31st in the league in opposing yards per carry, clocking in at 5.23.
“Just being disciplined if it’s in your rush lanes or that’s in your run lanes,” Lawrence said of containing Hurts. “Plan on doing a better job with that.”
Lawrence is their best hope against Kelce, a five-time All-Pro. The closest thing they have to an immovable object to meet the unstoppable force.
“I think it’s probably just a pride thing,” Lawrence said. “It’s like OK, you’re going against a great guy. You want to beat him more than he beats you.”
This defense sees itself as a group worthy of the NFL’s elite eight, numbers be damned.
“We could be whatever we want to be,” Lawrence said. “The best, the greatest, all those things.”
That would require beating the best. The Eagles are the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Hurts is an MVP candidate. They are top five in nearly every major offensive category. And the crowd will be behind them — so much so that Lawrence would prefer his mother, Julia Parker, stay home.
But he expects a different result than just over a month ago.
“I think we’ve grown a lot [since then],” Lawrence said. “We grew together [rather [than] apart during that time. I think that kinda shows in the play. We just keep that confidence and want to be there for each other and play for each other and be good.”
He’ll need to be more than just good. This is the sort of matchup that swings these sorts of games.
“I’m here for my guys, I want to win for my guys,” Lawrence said. “I hold that all on me. Just being consistent every week and dominating.”
When he met the media at the NFL Combine in 2019, Dexter Lawrence sent a message to general managers who might be interested in drafting him.
“I call myself a once-in-a-generation caliber player,” Lawrence said.
Lawrence remembers exactly why he said what he said.
“I just know with my size and athleticism and speed is rare,” he told The Post on Friday, “so I just try to take full advantage of that every day. Now it’s about learning my position continuously and growing and learning better techniques to bring that more out of me.“
Center Jon Feliciano recalls being shocked in training camp when he learned that Sexy Dexy is just 24 (he will turn 25 next month).
“He can be a force for the next decade,” Feliciano told The Post, “depending on how long he wants to do this. He can give a lot of people a lot of trouble for a very long time.”
Dexter Lawrence possess a rare combination of size and speed. USA TODAY Sports
Sexy Dexy went No. 17 overall to the Giants in the 2019 draft, a pick acquired from the Browns in the Odell Beckham Jr. trade. Outside linebacker Oshane Ximines was the third-round return.
“We got drafted together, so I’ve seen how much he’s grown as a player and just as a human being,” Ximines told The Post. “It’s something exciting to watch every weekend, I just can’t wait to see where it all ends up at the end of the year.”
Sexy Dexy is a 6-foot-5, 350-or-so-pound dance machine who can somehow be sideline-to-sideline hell on wheels. Nose tackles aren’t supposed to move like he does. He is made for “Dancing With the Stars.”
“I feel like the play that sums up Dex is that play Week 2 against the Panthers, where Baker Mayfield got out of the pocket and he chased him to the sideline. … He’s 350 pounds doing that, that sums it up right there,” Ximines said. “He’s big, fast, strong. He could really do anything on the football field.”
“We’re gonna find out,” Ximines said, and laughed.
“[Lamar is] a different speed,” Sexy Dexy said. “It’s a good challenge. I’m ready for it.”
Dexter Lawrence participates in drills at Giants practice on Thursday. Noah K. Murray-NY Post
Sexy Dexy has three sacks in his past two games. His career high is four in 2020.
“He’s strong, he’s really athletic, I think he has a good feel for the game and feel for your body weight and when to use it against you and how to use it against you,” offensive lineman Nick Gates said.
Bill Parcells said this the day after Super Bowl XXV: “Power wins football games.” Parcells would have loved Sexy Dexy. “Somebody close to him is Fletcher Cox,” Gates said, referencing the Eagles’ All-Pro lineman.
Good luck against that bull rush. “I don’t think Fletcher is as big as [Lawrence] is,” Feliciano said, “but I can see what he’s talking about with the length and the power.”
Safety Julian Love was a fourth-round pick in Sexy Dexy’s draft class.
“He’s strong, and he is super-light on his feet,” Love said. “For him to be that light on his feet is special, and you don’t see that like really ever.”
Love marvels at how Sexy Dexy transforms into Sexy Wrecksy on the field.
“There’s a flip that switched for sure,” Love said. “He’s a guy who’s about his business once the pads get on.”
On his Instagram page you see and hear him:
“Hey 17 [Ryan Tannehill]. Stay in the pocket. I want to touch on you legally.” And: “I know you’re looking for the problem. It’s here. The problem is here.”
Sexy Dexy says: “It kinda just flows. Whatever comes out of my mouth comes out it my mouth. It’s an in-the-moment type thing.”
“The problem” stands defiantly alongside pal Leonard Williams … the Great Wall of East Rutherford.
Dexter LawrenceBill Kostroun/New York Post
“His arms are super long,” Feliciano said, “so when he sticks his arm in there, you gotta get your hands on him first, but it’s kind of hard when you have a guy with that long arms, and for a big guy, you don’t think he’s that quick. … He’s really quick. … His first two steps are impressive.”
Lawrence’s steps toward stardom will earn him a big-ticket extension. The Giants exercised the fifth-year option on Sexy Dexy in April.
“I just play football,” he said.
If he one day down the road is again calling himself a once-in-a-generation caliber-type player, bet that it will be as a Giant … a giant Giant.
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